Metroid: Change of Heart
by BTM707
Summary: Kraid and Ridley have guarded Zebes for years, without knowing the reason. When they learn the truth of why they are there however, they may have second thoughts on their loyalty. *hiatus*
1. Kraid and Ridley

_Hey all! BTM707 here, with my first Metroid story, Change Of Heart! Couple things you should know: **1.** This takes place during the original NES Metroid, and **2. **Kraid and Ridley are roughly the same size as Samus. So Read, review and enjoy!_

**Metroid: Change Of Heart**

**_Chapter 1: Kraid and Ridley_**

The planet Zebes, the ex-home of the ancient Chozo race, now a Space Pirate base. Deep below the surface is a maze of caverns and corridors. Creatures crawled, jumped, and flew everywhere in the several areas that divided the planet.

In an area called Norfair, a reptile-like creature was walking through a passage. He was called Kraid, and he was a Space Pirate general. The creatures of Norfair, though they operated under another leader, knew and respected Kraid, and did not attack him, partially because they knew that if they even attempted to fight him, or their leader, they would be dead in a matter of seconds. So they left him alone as he went on through the caverns.

Soon, the general reached a door, and shooting a spike from an opening on his belly, opened it and walked through. In this room, his back to him was a purple dragon-like creature. He was the leader of Norfair and the other general of the Space Pirates, apart from Kraid. Kraid jumped onto the central platform in the room and called out, "Hey Ridley."

The dragon turned to face the one who had called him. "Kraid!" he said, a bit surprised. "Haven't seen you in a while!"

"Yeah, a couple of weeks or so," Kraid replied. "It doesn't help that I've got to climb up Brinstar, cross through Crateria, and then drop all the way to the depths of Norfair to find you."

"You're at the very depths of Brinstar yourself, Kraid. It's the same for me when I travel to your lair," Ridley told him. "So anyway, what's up?"

"I don't know, Rid. I've been thinking a lot lately, and I need someone to talk to."

"Oh come on! You've got how many creatures roaming around Brinstar; you can't talk to them?" Ridley asked.

"No, I needed to talk to you. My best friend, and the only other leader here," Kraid said.

"It you don't count the Mother Brain, I guess you're right," Ridley replied.

"Yeah, that's why I'm here," Kraid told him.

"What? You want more leaders?" Ridley asked.

"No, no. I meant about Mother Brain," Kraid said.

"Alright, I'm listening," said Ridley, leaning on a brick.

"We reside in the depths of Zebes. Mother Brain keeps us in these rooms to 'guard' them. But think about it; we're at the depths of Zebes, Rid! There's nothing down here. What are we guarding? No one will come down here for any reason!" Kraid explained.

"…Hmm," Ridley spoke at last. "You know, you actually have some good points there, Kraid. I've never thought about it before. You are right, there is nothing down here, and the only reason someone would come down this far is to see us."

"Maybe there's another reason," Kraid spoke slowly.

"What do you mean?" Ridley asked, confused.

"Maybe we're here because there's something Mother Brain isn't telling us," Kraid told him. "Because there's something she doesn't want us to know…"

"Well, I'll admit that _is_ quite a theory," Ridley replied, "but come on! We're Mother Brain's most loyal followers. The Generals of the Space Pirates, second only to Mother Brain herself! Why should she keep something from us?"

"I don't know, Rid. Something just doesn't feel right," Kraid replied, heading for the door.

"Maybe you're right. We could try asking Mother Brain the next time we see her," Ridley suggested.

Kraid shrugged. "I doubt she'd give us an honest answer. Anyways, I'll see you later."

"Later, Kraid."

Kraid left the lair, leaving Ridley alone with his thoughts…

* * *

Kraid was on the elevation platform leaving Norfair up to Crateria.

"It seems insane that Mother Brain would be using us and keeping us in the dark, but I just cannot get over the feeling that something is wrong," he mumbled.

* * *

Ridley was pacing around his lair, his mind still abuzz with what Kraid had told him.

"It just doesn't seem possible, but could Kraid be right? Could Mother Brain actually not care about us at all? Are we just tools to be used when necessary, and then thrown away when we've served our purpose?" He said out loud.

Ridley decided to put his mind to rest and get some sleep. He needed it, for he was bored day and night, and the only fun he had was when he went to Kraid's lair, or when Kraid came to his. And the visits were never long enough…

_It doesn't matter,_ he thought. _If Mother Brain actually did betray us, it would still be the most excitement I've ever had._

Ridley went over to his bed in the corner of the room and lay down, closing his eyes and letting sleep overtake him. He and Kraid, however, were both unaware of the ship currently flying towards Zebes, carrying the one that would indeed change everything…


	2. Samus Aran, the Hunter

_First off, yes, the creatues on Zebes can talk. And secondly, I know technically it was Ridley who led the attack on K-2L, but in here it was Mother Brain who ordered the attack. Ridley had nothing to do with it, so deal. And yeah, I know it's been forever since I updated, but I haven't been in the mood to write Metroid. But now I am, so expect quicker updates. And over 100 hits for one chapter, but not _one_ review?? C'mon guys, review and let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! Anyway, enjoy chapter 2!!_

**_Chapter 2: Samus Aran, the Hunter_**

Up in the atmosphere of Zebes, a Hunter-class gunship was currently preparing to land. The pilot chose a peaceful, flat area of the surface and touched down. Letting out a sigh, the pilot opened the hatch of the ship and stepped on a platform. It then rose to the top of the ship and stopped. The pilot briefly scanned the immediate area, and jumped off the ship.

The person was a bounty hunter, the best in the galaxy. Effective at the job, few actually knew anything about the person other than the Galactic Federation. The hunter was actually a female human, in her early twenties. She had guarded her past for years, which was useful, as the practice of bounty hunting generally made enemies. Her name was Samus Aran, and many thought her to be a robot or cyborg, due to the armour she wore. Her Power Suit was an advanced piece of technology, created by the ancient race called the Chozo. The very same race that had once lived on Zebes, and had raised Samus since she was three years old. And even as she walked slowly forward, memories of her past came flooding back.

She had been hesitant to take this mission, but when she learned that it had involved Space Pirates, she had to accept. When she was three years old, her family had been attacked by Pirates. They had raided the colony she lived with, under the command of their leader, Mother Brain. Her parents had perished in that attack, and since then, she had harboured a deep grudge against Space Pirates. She was here to eliminate the Pirate base on Zebes and destroy their leader. She never failed to complete a mission, but this one was one she could _not_ fail, no matter what.

She spotted an opening in the earth and smiled briefly. It was time to begin.

* * *

Kraid paced around his lair uneasily. He had returned hours ago, but he could not seem to rest. Telling his theory to Ridley made him feel that he was right. Whenever they had asked Mother Brain why they had to guard those rooms, she had never given them a straight answer, and had promptly changed the subject.

He only hoped that Ridley would come to the same conclusion, and together they could start planning what to do next.

* * *

_Later…_

Samus moved quickly through the corridors of Crateria. As she used to live here, she knew the place well. Her plan was to get to the cybernetic stronghold, Tourian, that had been built by the Pirates. Her ship had picked up readings from it when she landed. She had to get in there; she knew it was where Mother Brain resided.

She had so far jumped down the opening from the surface, moved forward a bit, and came to a long vertical cavern. Judging from where the readings had been coming from, she had decided to go up. All this had happened while gunning through every creature that resided in Crateria, who had been less than happy to see her. As she shot a Zoomer, she stopped to catch her breath. She looked up, and saw a door. She smiled to herself; that was the door she needed to reach Tourian. She shot the door open and ran through. What she saw surprised her.

A doorway was on the other side of the room, leading to, she guessed, the beginning of Tourian. The surprising part was the giant gap between the doors, with lava underneath. She frowned, wondering what to do next, until she noticed to statues on a platform above her. She jumped up to the platform.

The statues were of two creatures. One was a lizard… thing, and the other resembled a dragon. The eyes of the statues were glowing, which puzzled Samus. _What could this mean…?_

Then, she saw an etching on the base of the statues. They both read the same: '**Two leaders to guard us all with their lives…**'

_Two leaders?_ Samus pondered. _What could that mean, I wonder? 'Guard us with their lives'? Wait… Could that mean that the statues are powered by life? That would mean that these two actually exist! And their lives are preventing access to Tourian! That's it! I have to find and destroy these two leaders to get to Mother Brain!_

Samus frowned. Now, where to find these two…

* * *

_Much later…_

Kraid awoke suddenly to the sound of guns, explosions and creatures yelling. _What's going on? Who has guns down here? A pirate? But why would a pirate be shooting?_

He stood up and started toward the door. He was halfway across the room, when the door opened. Kraid's eyes widened. A suited humanoid walked into the room, arm cannon raised and locked on him. He knew this person: it was the famous bounty hunter Samus Aran. Their identity was a mystery, but one thing was for sure: it was an enemy to the Space Pirates. But before he tried anything, which would probably be bad considering the gun focused on him, he may as well try and talk this out. "You are Samus Aran, the hunter?"

Samus said nothing. In truth, she was surprised she actually found one of the leaders from the statues. She had deduced that 'leaders' meant high-ranking Space Pirate, and that just made this all the sweeter.

"Why are you here? What have I done to upset you?" Kraid tried again, but again the hunter said nothing, but slowly entered the room, door shutting behind her.

"…I am here to finish you, so I can find your leader." She spoke at last. Kraid was surprised that the figure had actually answered, but was even more so at the tone of the voice. It… sounded like it was a female…

Kraid slowly walked forwards, but Samus raised the gun to his head. "Don't move, and this will be quick," she said shortly. Kraid's mind raced as she continued, "The Pirates must fall, and you will die for standing in the way of me and Mother Brain!"

Kraid blinked. "Standing between you and Mother Brain? What are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid with me," Samus answered. "You need to die so that I can destroy Mother Brain. Now prepare to die." She raised her arm cannon.

"No, wait! I'm not protecting Mother Brain! I don't know what you're talking about!!" Kraid said frantically, trying to convince his soon-to-be killer. "At least explain to me what you know!"

Samus hesitated. Was it possible that he was telling the truth? "…You promise not to attack me if I tell you?"

"Yes!" Kraid nodded quickly, dying to know what Samus was talking about.

"Very well…" She sat down, lowering her gun, though not taking her eyes off of Kraid. "First off, what's your name?"

"It's Kraid. And you are Samus Aran, correct?" Kraid asked, also sitting. Samus nodded.

"I am here on a mission for the Galactic Federation to destroy the Pirate base and its leader, Mother Brain. They reside in Tourian, yes?" Samus asked, not sure Kraid would answer. Surprising her, he nodded slowly. She continued, "To gain access into Tourian however, I found a slight problem." Kraid nodded again. He had heard rumours that the direct link to Tourian was not easy to access. Samus went on, "I found two statues. One of you, the other of a dragon-looking creature."

Kraid gasped. "That's Ridley! And… a statue of me? But why?"

Samus blinked. "I can't believe that you don't know this already. But anyway, there was a message, basically saying that the lives of the two represented in the statues were keeping me from Tourian and Mother Brain." She stared at Kraid. The reptile had adopted a look of disbelief on his face. "Uh, Kraid? You alright?"

"…I was right…" Kraid said softly. "She doesn't really need us, she was just using us as bodyguards to keep anyone from reaching her! She's played us this entire time!!" Samus frowned. "_I'm_ confused now. Can you explain?"

Kraid proceeded to tell her what he knew, and of his theory. When he finished, Samus stood up.

"So you've been a pirate general with this 'Ridley', but you two have been kept in the dark about everything. How long have you two done this?" she asked. Kraid thought for a moment.

"…Maybe eight years or so. Hard to say really, we've been down here for what seems like our entire lives. Which in actuality isn't too far off the mark. I joined the pirates when I was young. That's when I met Ridley; he was joining up too."

Kraid also stood up. "If you're going after Mother Brain, then I won't stop you. After what I've heard, I don't trust her anymore, nor do I care to follow under her. But if you _are_ going after her, I've got one request to make to you."

Samus just looked at the lizard. After learning of his past and how he'd been tricked, she no longer wished to kill him. Maybe he could help her get into Tourian. But this request… "So what is it?"

"Let me come with you."


	3. Rallying Help

_So... It's been almost a year, huh? Yeah, last chapter I said something about "expecting quicker updates". That... didn't go over so well. But here you are, your (long overdue) third chapter of Change of Heart is here at last! Exposition time! And there is a lot of it, so I'm sorry if you don't like exposition, but it's necessary for later. I think that's it, and I'll try not to let the updates get so slack again. Enjoy! _

_**Chapter 3: Rallying Help**_

The unlikely pair moved swiftly through Brinstar, Kraid in the lead with Samus close behind. Though the hunter hadn't been sure initially if she could trust her new ally, he had not attacked her and offered to take the lead so they could find Ridley faster. Of course, there _was_ still the possibility that she was being led into a trap, but she felt at ease travelling with her companion. He seemed genuinely curious about those bizarre statues and serious about standing up to Mother Brain, and Samus was ready to get all the help she could against her foe.

"So tell me about how you and Ridley joined up with the Pirates," Samus said, trying to break the silence. Kraid was silent for a moment, then sighed. "It's not really a thrilling tale. When I was young, I came across some Pirates during a raid, and they decided to take me with them. When we returned to their ship, they presented me to Mother Brain, who said I was to be trained. I was put in a unit of new recruits, and I met Ridley, who was just like me: young, wandering around, picked up, and ordered to be trained. It's not like we had any alternative choice, so we decided to go with it. After about a year of training, Ridley and I were best friends, and the tops in our unit. Imagine it: two loner kids that were picked up during raids, and we were the best. We felt pretty superior to the rest of our unit, the ones who were actual Pirates. Then, one day, Mother Brain ordered us to be trained independently by commandos, because we had progressed so far. After another year, we were both finished our elite training and joined into the ranks of Pirates. We both quickly became popular and efficient at our jobs, and after a few months we got promoted."

Samus whistled. "You two were quite something. You still would have been pretty young though, hey?" Kraid nodded.

"We were in our teens by that time, I think." They stopped briefly as they rode the elevator out of Brinstar and into Crateria. Once they were moving again, Kraid continued with his story.

"So it went like that for a while. Do our job, do it well, get praised, get promoted. After about a year and a half since we joined the ranks, Ridley and I were made generals, the highest in command besides Mother Brain and High Command itself! For a couple of months, we were on top. And then… _that_ day came." Kraid's voice got ominous, and Samus quickly glanced at him, wanting to know what happened next.

"Mother Brain asked the two of us into her private chambers to discuss a 'special' assignment," Kraid told her. "She said the Pirates had taken control of a planet named Zebes, and that a strange type of creature was found there. She asked if Ridley and I were willing to do whatever it was she asked of us. We agreed, and she told us to make our homes in the depths of Zebes, to "guard the planet while we extract as many of these 'Metroids' as we can". So, we made our homes here, Ridley in the hot regions of Norfair, and me in the jungle area of Brinstar, just like we'd been told. After that, we never really heard from anyone. Mother Brain hardly ever informed us of any happenings, and we were basically kept in the dark. For eight years we did that, loyal to Mother Brain. But now… Now I think I'm done with her," Kraid finished. Samus felt sorry for the creature; he had endured so much, yet at the same time done so little, in his life. She promised to make Mother Brain pay for all of her tyranny. And she never broke her promises.

They had arrived at the elevator to Norfair. As they descended, Samus couldn't help but feel anticipated about her meeting with Ridley.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Ridley woke, slowly rubbing his eyes and sitting up. Sleeping was a great way to kill time, but the worst part was waking up. That meant he had to find something to do before he could sleep again, and finding something to do could prove to be a challenge.

Ridley sighed. He might as well think about what Kraid had told him, and what they could do about it. He began pacing around his room, trying to decide what to do. "Should we confront Mother Brain with our questions? No, it'd just be like every other time: avoidance of the topic and "remain in your areas". Should we attack her?" He snorted. "Yeah, let's get called out on mutiny while we're doing this. _That'd_ be great. 'The Pirate Main Enforcers attacked their leader! That's how Space Pirates work!' Ugh, what do we do then?" The dragon sighed again. "Hopefully Kraid had better luck than me, because I've got nothing." He was about to turn to his bed when suddenly his door opened. Ridley spun around, confused. Why hadn't he heard anything?

There, clad in full armour, was a figure standing in the doorway, one that Ridley thought he had seen before. He quickly racked his thoughts, trying to put name to face. _Of course, that's that bounty hunter that's completed seemingly impossible jobs! And also apparently has a real thing for Space Pirates…_Ridley readied himself for battle, ducking into a crouching position and baring his claws. The figure slowly walked into the room, followed by-

Ridley blinked. "Kraid?!"

"Hey Rid, sorry we're late, Samus here found some sort of ancient artefact left by the people of this planet and wanted to play with it," Kraid explained briefly. Shortly before he and Samus had arrived, Samus had come across a statue that held an item called the Ice Beam, and had wanted to try it out on a few Novas. She had then explained very briefly about the Chozo that used to live on Zebes. She had not yet, however, explained how she knew this. She had decided on waiting until they found Ridley to save telling it twice.

Ridley just stared. "Uh… Care to explain a bit more Kraid?" he asked slowly. Kraid chuckled, and then began to tell of how Samus had come into his lair, told him about Mother Brain's deception, and how she planned to take out Mother Brain and that he was now helping.

As he finished, he said, "So I suggested seeing you first, since I wondered if you'd want in on this. Do you?" he asked, looking expectantly at the dragon. Ridley nodded slowly. "If what you've said is true, then yeah, I want in on this!" He turned to Samus. "Allow me to… formally introduce myself, if we Pirates do that," he said, smirking as Kraid chucked. "I am Ridley, Enforcer and general of the Space Pirate army."

Samus removed her helmet and shook her blonde hair free. Ridley was briefly surprised at how young the hunter looked. She could have been their age, and he wasn't prepared for such an accomplished hunter to be so young. "My name is Samus Aran, bounty hunter of the Galactic Federation," she stated. She bowed her head slightly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, and I thank you for helping me bring down your leader. I thank you both," she added, nodding to Kraid as well. The generals glanced at each other. Could they really pull off what they had planned?

Samus placed her helmet back on her head and turned toward the door. "Come on, let's head back to those statues." As the trio set out to find the elevator to Crateria, a Geruta suddenly pitched toward the hunter. Samus barely flinched as she fired a shot at the creature, freezing it instantly. Kraid was suddenly reminded of Samus mentioning the Chozo when she got her new weapon. "Hey Samus?" he asked. The hunter turned and looked at him, raising her eyebrows. "Can you explain now about the Chozo, and how you know so much about them?" the lizard asked. Samus nodded, and resumed walking.

"You guys told me about your pasts… When I was three years old, I lived on a mining colony called K-2L. One day some Chozo came, looking for some Afloraltite. Because all of ours was for the Federation, we had to decline them. But I got to know the leader, and he was very kind and wise. A few hours after they left, Space Pirates attacked the colony. They were vicious, they destroyed everything. Even my parents." Samus hesitated. "After their raid, I was the only survivor. The Chozo came back, and they took me with them back to their home. When we arrived, which was Zebes, they told me I was going to live with them from then on. They infused me with Chozo DNA so I could survive on the planet, and they became my new family."

The three arrived at the elevator and took it up to Crateria as Samus continued. "For 11 years they trained me to be a warrior, until one day they said I was ready to take back the galaxy from the Pirates. So I left my home, and I joined the Galactic Federation Academy. They almost didn't take me since I was only 14, but they did in the end, and thanks to my training and studying with the Chozo, I was top in my classes. The Chozo had taken me in, given me a home and prepared me for my destiny. They had given me what I needed to combat the Space Pirates. My family… Even though I wasn't one of them, they were my family, and I loved all of them." Ridley and Kraid were surprised to hear her voice quiver. Samus took off her helmet and wiped a few tears out of her eyes.

"And now, eight years later, I return to the planet I used to call home… And it's nothing like I remember it. The Pirates have taken my family from me again. But this time, I can do something about it. _This_ time, I'm going to strike back at the leader of it all, the one who's been a plague to the galaxy, and my life, for too long. And I appreciate you two helping me," she said, turning to give the two a small smile. The lizard and dragon smiled in return.

"Now then," Samus said, "let's get Mother Brain." As the three made their way to the statues, each was thinking the same thing. It was almost time to begin.


	4. The Statues and the Powerups

_Well, it's certainly been a while, huh? I said some time ago that my next update would be a Change of Heart chapter, so here it is! After a long hiatus, enjoy!_

_**Chapter 4: The Statues and the Power-ups**_

A Rio fluttered down a passage lazily, hardly focusing on where it was headed. It grappled onto the ceiling and hung there for a moment, noting as it did so the odd trio that marched on under him. The tall purple dragon led the way, scouting for any Pirates that might be wandering around; the short lizard bringing up the rear was doing the same. The tall metallic being that was cautiously proceeding between the two was glancing about, and then looked upwards and spotted the small creature spying on them.

The figure raised a giant gun to it and hesitated, as if debating whether or not to shoot. The Rio held its breath, until the dragon stepped forward and lowered the gun. "There's no sense drawing unwanted attention with the sounds of fighting," it heard the being say, and the three continued their trek through the corridor.

The Rio quickly sped down the other way, excited to share with its friends about how it had just escaped certain death.

* * *

Samus scanned the passage ahead of her warily, while her new companions caught up to her. "Y'know," Kraid panted, "There's no reason to be faster than us, since you'll just hit a dead end." The bounty hunter shrugged. "Yeah, I know, but it's sort of my thing to do a mission as fast as possible. I can't help it."

Ridley hopped over and sat on a large rock protruding from the ground. "We're almost there, so you'd better be ready." Samus stared. "Actually, I'm not. If it's alright with you two, I'm going to go and grab a few things before we go on."

"Yeah, you might as well. Ridley and I aren't exactly sure how long this will take anyway," Kraid replied, glancing at his partner. The dragon nodded in agreement. "Could be hours, honestly." Samus nodded in understanding. "Well, I'll be back in a while either way." And with that, the Hunter was gone.

A moment after she was gone, Ridley chuckled softly. When Kraid looked over at him, expecting an explanation, Ridley only shook his head. "She's some human, isn't she?" Kraid grinned in return. "She's interesting, that's for sure. Never met one like her." Ridley snorted. "To be fair, we rarely see humans alive for more than twelve seconds before they're lying dead at our feet." Kraid was silent for a moment, pondering the comment. "…Touché," he finally said. "Anyway, let's find these statue-things and see what's what."

Ridley stood up and the duo trudged on down the corridor and through a doorway. On the other side, they saw in bewilderment that Samus hadn't lied. The ground stopped shortly after the doorway, with lava dominating the entire room underneath them. There was a locked door on the far side of the room, inaccessible because of the lava. There were two life-size statues of them, from the torso up, in the center of the room, on a ledge raised above the ground. Detailed down to the scales on Kraid's body, they looked like grey, lifeless copies of the being that stood before them. And even that wasn't exactly true. The eyes of the statues seemed to shine with energy, giving them the appearance that they very well could be alive in a way. The sight of them sent a shiver down Kraid's back, and Ridley swore quietly.

"Well," he said softly, "That's that then. So how are we supposed to go about doing anything, short of killing ourselves, when we don't even know what it is we're doing?" Kraid just stared at the statues, which appeared to stare back. He was playing out a number of angles in his head, and none of them had yet proven an effective way for triggering or destroying the statues without putting an end to their lives as well.

Ridley threw a quick fireball at his own statue out of curiosity. It bounced along the ground before striking the statue, and something happened: a yellow light appeared and engulfed the statue. Ridley blinked, and stepped forward excitedly. The light quickly faded, along with the fireball, and the dragon realized that he had only _thought_ that his fireball had hit the copy.

In fact, there was no sign of a scorch mark at all. It didn't take the purple being long to figure out that a force field had engulfed the statue and protected it from harm. Ridley sighed and sank to the ground. His first attempt had failed, and only revealed another obstacle in their way. Beside him, Kraid was still silent, playing more scenarios in his mind, now with the possible addition of a force field to take into account as well. Ridley hoped he could think of something that would work, because he was currently stumped.

* * *

Samus sped quickly through the passages of Norfair, grinning as she ran. She was back in her element, racing through a mission as fast as possible. In addition to her Ice Beam, she had also acquired a Charge Beam, Wave Beam, Varia Suit, Morph Ball Bombs for her Morph Ball form, and the Space Jump. She was quite powerful at this level, but she wasn't ready to head back quite yet. There were still a couple of things she wanted to grab before she confronted Mother Brain, and she intended to be at absolute full power by the time that went down.

She blasted apart another Nova and was gone before the remains even touched the ground. She wasn't going to be the helpless child this time. Now, she was going to take matters into her own hands. And it wasn't anything Mother Brain would be leaving from alive.


	5. Overcoming Obstacles

_In addition to the promise I had made about the next update being CoH, I had also promised everyone two chapters. So, here it is, and once more, enjoy!_

**_Chapter 5: Overcoming Obstacles_**

Ridley sighed for perhaps the hundredth time. He and Kraid had been sitting here for a good half hour, and they were still no closer to getting past the barricades that kept them from Tourian. Kraid had been silent the entire time. Occasionally he would approach the statues and try something, only to fail and sit back down to go over his ideas again. Ridley hadn't contributed much, besides firing a barrage of fireballs to try and overwhelm the force field. Not only had it failed, one of them had been reflected back and hit him square in the nose. So he sat, frustrated with a slightly wounded ego, as Kraid tried this and that.

He sighed again. "I wonder how Samus is doing. Maybe she could break through that field, fire a bunch of missiles or something, I don't know." Kraid looked up, his face scrunched up in thought. "You already tried that, and it didn't work," he replied, his voice hoarse from not speaking. Ridley shrugged. "Maybe it's different with concussive weaponry; maybe the strength of it would overwhelm the field." Kraid was about to reply, but stopped suddenly. He quickly stood up and walked over to the statues, a possibility forming in his head.

As Ridley watched, Kraid extended a hand and reached for his statue. Ridley expected the field to appear, to push him away from it. To his surprise, Kraid managed to lay his clawed hand onto the head of the imitation. The dragon just stared in disbelief until Kraid summoned him over. Ridley approached his own statue and cautiously extended his own arm, half-expecting the force field to just appear for him anyway. However, it didn't, and Ridley laid his hand upon the cold head of his copied self. After a moment, he turned to Kraid and asked, "So now what?"

"You gave me an idea when you talked about using strength to overwhelm the field," Kraid explained. "I can't see it working with missiles since, like the fireballs, they're projectiles and therefore wouldn't get through at all. However, _we_ can physically touch the statues. As well, these things are apparently tied into our own life forces. So I got the idea that, if we were somehow able to touch them, as we are now, we could access the energy within them, harness it, and overwhelm them."

"That's an insane idea," Ridley responded, "but it's all we have left, so we might as well try it. So… What do we do, exactly?" Kraid grimaced. "Well, I'm not entirely sure, but think of these statues as extensions of ourselves. I think that as long as you stay in contact with it, you'll find a mental connection." Ridley was simply bewildered at that logic, but decided to give it a try. He searched into the depths of his subconscious. To his enormous surprise, buried deep, he found a connection to his statue; he could actually feel the same energy that was in his body coursing through the object resting under his hand.

He turned to Kraid, who seemed to be experiencing the same feeling. Ridley noted with a hint of amusement that he seemed to have a rather surprised expression on his face as well. "Exactly how did you know that was supposed to work?" the dragon asked, and Kraid turned to face him. "To be honest, I had no idea it would even work. It just seemed the most logical way, if what Samus said about using our own energy was true. It apparently was though, because I can really feel my own life in this thing. It's sort of creepy, actually." Ridley nodded in agreement. "So what now?"

"You can feel the energy in the statue, now harness it. Feed it." As he spoke, Kraid began to empty his own energies into the statue, and in response the eyes of it began to shimmer. Ridley did the same, and got the same response. However, there was a problem the dragon immediately spotted. The energy being put into the copy was just circling back into him, as if in a loop. There was no way to actually add to the capacity already in the replication. Ridley stopped and tried to gather his thoughts; the process of circulating life energy was giving him a headache. Likewise, Kraid had ceased as well. He sat down and moaned, gripping his skull. "It almost worked," he said softly. "Right up until that part, anyway."

Ridley moved and sat beside him. "It's farther than I would've gotten," he admitted. "There just has to be something we're doing wrong. Let's think about this: we can access the energy in the statues, and we can control it. However, something is preventing us from adding to it." Ridley paused, as though he had just thought of something. Kraid looked at him expectantly. "Yeah?"

"I just remembered Samus saying that they're tied to our lives." Kraid facepalmed. "Yeah Rid, that's what we've been toying with for the last five minutes." Ridley rolled his eyes. "Let me finish. They're tied to our lives, so that we'll have to die for them to be deactivated." Kraid's eyes lit up in understanding. "So we're going the wrong way!" he said excitedly. Ridley nodded. "We don't _add_ to the power, we _take_ from it."

The duo leapt to their feet and went back to their statues. Laying their hands on them, they found the connection once more. This time though, they focused on the energies flowing, and drew from it. To Ridley's delight, there was no loop; the power began to diminish. As well, the eyes of the imitations were starting to lose their glow.

The door warped open behind them, and Samus stepped in. She saw what was happening and stared, wide-eyed, as the last of the energy was taken from the statues; as a result, they each rose up on a podium and when they stopped moving, the eyes shattered. As if waiting to be cued, a hidden bridge leading across the room appeared. The three just stared at the new path that was open to them.

Finally, Samus turned to the Pirate Commanders. "Well, you did it. Shall we confront your leader, or just call it a day?" she asked with a smirk. The two chuckled in reply, and Kraid asked, "So did you get everything you needed?"

"Oh, and then some," the Hunter replied with a grin. In addition to everything she'd already grabbed, she'd found a Gravity Suit, Plasma Beam, Super Missiles, Power Bombs, and Screw Attack. "I'm ready to go blast some brains against a wall, so can we get on with it? I'm getting anxious."

Ridley grinned and gestured to the locked door beyond them. "Ladies first." Samus loaded a super missile and took aim. Firing it, it soared across the room and shattered the lock. The door warped open, and the three all shared a grin. "Let's do this," Samus said, and she led the way into the room beyond.


	6. Tourian's Traps

_Geez, long time no see, huh? Yeah, I felt bad about leaving this story to collect dust (plus I want it finished), so I decided to add on another chapter. I'm going to try to finish it soon now; I'm getting possible ideas to work on a better sequel once this and Phantom Hourglass finish. But that's way into the future. For now, here's another chapter, sorry for the hiatus, and I hope you enjoy!_

_**Chapter 6: Tourian's Traps**_

The trio entered into a small room. The difference was that this room was completely metallic; Kraid shivered slightly at the small drop in temperature. In the middle of the artificial room sat an elevator that sank away into nothingness. Ridley scoffed while looking at the plates drilled together to create walls around them. "You'd think it was a law that we could never be here," he said in an annoyed tone.

Samus turned to him, confused. "Wait, you've never been to Tourian?" she asked hesitantly. The dragon shook his head as he continued to examine the wall.

"Like we said, Mother Brain told us to hide out near the depths of the planet. We've never actually been in the Pirate base here," he answered. Kraid tested his claws on the floor and was satisfied when they left scratch marks.

"He's right; it would basically be a crime if we ever came here," he added. "Pirates each have their own place to be, and ours isn't here. Even though everyone else _is._" He rolled his eyes.

Samus was lost. "But you said you've talked to Mother Brain plenty of times while being here! How do you do that if you don't come here?" she asked quickly. Kraid looked at her as he frowned.

"Either in a control room or telepathy," he responded. "There _are_ control rooms for Pirates built around the planet, you know. Easy way to keep in touch. Rarely though, the boss just uses her powerful brain waves to communicate with us telepathically. I always thought that was sort of an invasion of privacy though, personally." Ridley nodded in agreement.

"So we're all going in blind then?" Samus asked. "I thought you guys had been in here before! I thought you at least knew what we were getting into!" The Pirate duo glanced at each other, and finally shook their heads.

"Nope, we haven't a clue what we're walking into," Ridley replied casually. "But so what? Between the three of us, I think we'll be able to mow through anything we come across. We'll just have to move quickly and quietly; if any Pirates see us with you and get to an alarm, we're all screwed."

Samus said nothing for a moment, and then walked onto the elevator. "Right. I'm just going to descend into the heart of my enemies' base, try and attract no attention to myself, with a giant lizard and dragon following me, which I have to hide from anyone or anything we see. All while I try and navigate a maze to find the one in charge so I can decorate the wall with her insides. And here I thought this was going to be _hard_ or something."

"Oh come on, cheer up!" Kraid said with a grin as he and Ridley stepped onto the elevator as well. "I don't know about you, but I'm really excited about this! Live or die, this is the most fun I've had in years!"

Ridley nodded. "I have to agree. Anything is better than spending another god-forsaken minute in those stupid rooms. I say, bring on the violence. At the very least, we'll get to see how much our skills have diminished in eight years." Kraid frowned.

"Huh. Hadn't thought of that," he mentioned, and Samus facepalmed. "Screw it all, you guys are right," she said. "Let's just go in and do this. You want revenge, I want revenge, so that's what we're gonna get." And with that, the elevator began its descent into the artificial lair.

* * *

_One rather long descent later…_

"Holy, how far down did we go?" Ridley asked, staring up the chute once they stepped off the elevator. Kraid and Samus looked around at the metal that continued around them.

"Not sure, but it was definitely deeper than Norfair," the lizard replied. "And by the look of it, it just keeps going," he added, staring over the edge of the platform they all inhabited. Samus took a look also, and groaned at the multiple platforms that continued to descend down the shaft.

"How far does this stupid place go?" she wondered aloud. "What if a bomb went off in here? Nobody would have anywhere to go all the way down here! That's just poor architectural planning."

"Yeah, we're Pirates. We usually don't just randomly set off bombs in our own facilities," Ridley replied as he hopped onto a lower platform. "Emphasis on 'usually'," he added as an afterthought. "Now, let's go, I'm tired of all this standing around." He stretched his wings until they cracked, and began heading from platform to platform, slowly making his way down the shaft. Kraid and Samus kept close behind him, and they travelled for about five minutes before Ridley quickly stopped.

"What-" Samus started, but Ridley held a claw up. "Did you guys hear something?" he asked quietly, and the others shook their heads. They all remained quiet for a moment, then something faint was heard a ways below them.

Kraid knitted his brow. "It… sounded like a distorted chirping or something," he said softly. "What _is_ that? I've never heard anything make a noise like that before." Samus nodded in agreement, and Ridley peered down the shaft again. He could see nothing through the darkness below him, but he could now hear something shifting around.

He closed his eyes and strained to listen. Samus shouted her warning right as he heard the air break in front of him.

"_Dur-dur-squee!"_

Ridley's eyes shot open. Hovering before him was a large jellyfish-looking monster with four fangs, two larger than the others. It had a transparent membrane, revealing four nuclei within. And it looked hungry.

The creature continued to chirp as it slowly advanced on Ridley. The dragon shot a few fireballs at it, but they simply bounced off and made the creature advance quicker. "Um… Help?" he asked meekly. His call was answered as Kraid shot a few spikes from his stomach and back at the creature. However, these too simply fell away from the creature's body. Samus quickly loaded a missle and took aim, but it floated upwards and darted around. Samus followed its movements for a moment before finally firing. The missile made contact, and Kraid and Ridley cheered. However, the enemy simply rose out of the smoke cloud with no visible damage. Samus yelled in frustration.

"What _is_ that thing, and why can't we hurt it?" she screamed. Suddenly, the thing charged at her. It latched onto her helmet and proceeded to feed. Samus' eyes widened as she saw her energy being drained away at an alarming rate. She tried shaking it off, and then shooting at it, and finally pulled at it, but nothing would remove it. Seeing her energy was quickly dropping to critical levels, she thought of only one more thing to try. She dropped into her Morph Ball and laid a bomb. A second later, it exploded in a flash of light and the monster quickly detached itself, chirping in pain. Samus unmorphed and dropped to her knees, panting as the thing flew around above them.

"Well," she said in between breaths, "I got it off, but it nearly killed me. What are we supposed to do? I may not survive another latching like that." Ridley thought back to everything they'd tried, and suddenly his eyes lit up.

"Hang on," he said quickly, "when I threw my fireballs at it, it advanced on them, as if it was attracted to them. Maybe this thing thrives in heat! Shoot it with your Ice Beam!" Samus blinked from fatigue, and finally registered what the dragon said. She activated her Ice Beam as the creature stopped flying around and shook slightly. As it locked onto Kraid and charged, Samus swore and fired a shot off.

It hit home, and the being froze solid. Hanging in the air a moment, it finally dropped to the metallic ground with a loud bang. Samus held her position for a second before collapsing. "Holy damn, I thought we were finished," she said finally, continuing to pant. Kraid stood up, shaking slightly.

"That _was_ scary," he agreed. He stepped forward to examine the creature encased in ice as Ridley sank to his feet, breathing a sigh of relief. The lizard picked up the chunk of ice and stared at its mandibles.

"What was it doing to you?" he asked Samus, who was still kneeling on the ground. She shook her head after a moment, and tried to gather her thoughts. Eventually she fell back into a sitting position and finally found her breath.

"It was like it was eating away at my energy," she explained. "Not just my suit's energy, although it _did_ take a fair chunk of that, but my life energy as well. I guess I understand now what you guys were talking about before, with your own life energies." She grabbed her head and sighed. "Whatever it did, it was scary."

Ridley nodded. "Good thing that freezing worked. If it hadn't, I'd have been out of ideas, and we probably would've died. What kind of creature is immune to _everything_ except cold?"

"This one," Kraid answered. "Now, how do we kill it? It's not dead yet, just frozen. It's already beginning to melt through."

Ridley turned to Samus. "Shoot a missile at it," he told her. She blinked at him. "Shoot a missile. How do we know that won't break the ice?" Ridley shrugged.

"We don't, I just want to see if it'll work. Besides, if it does break the ice, you can always just freeze it again." Samus contemplated this for a moment before turning to the creature as Kraid set it back on the ground.

She fired a missile, and it hit the ice with a loud 'crack'. Kraid took a look and saw cracks forming on the ice, but seemed to continue into the monstrosity as well. "Keep it up, I think it's working," he said.

Samus shot again and again until another four missiles finally shattered the ice and the creature as one. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Ridley rose to his feet. "Mother Brain has some serious answering to do about this thing," he said darkly. "I wonder if this is the creature that she brought us here for…" He trailed off and turned to Samus, asking, "Will you be alright?"

The Hunter nodded. "I should be fine; my energy's starting to recover already. Let's just keep an eye out for those things in case there happen to be any more."

"Well, at least if we do, we know how to deal with them now," Kraid added with a positive tone, and Samus finally nodded before she and Ridley fell in behind Kraid as they continued their way down the menacing shaft.


End file.
